Published: Thursday, October 24, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, October 23, 2013 at 6:10 p.m.

In more ways than one, Mills River farmer Jason Davis broke new ground last week on farmland he leases across Ferncliff Park Drive from Sierra Nevada’s new brewery.

Manning the controls of a seed drill, Davis became the first commercial grower in Henderson County — and one of only two in Western North Carolina — to plant barley for use by the region’s burgeoning craft beer industry.

Last Wednesday, Davis planted 12 acres of a winter barley variety called “Thoroughbred,” which he hopes to harvest next June and transport to the Riverbend Malt House in Asheville for processing into beer malt.

His crop won’t likely end up in Sierra Nevada’s vats across the road, but if successful, other regional breweries will combine his yields with hops, yeast and water to make beer. That’s something that appeals to Davis, whose North River Farms specializes in locally grown products.

“I like the fact that it’s going local,” Davis said. “People are going to get their beer, and it’s grown here, malted here and brewed here. That’s awesome. We’re really excited to move forward and see if this niche market can take off.”

Meanwhile, in Polk County, Dana farmer Tony Hill planted 30 acres of his own land in Thoroughbred barley three weeks ago. Soon, he plans to sow about 10 acres in Dana with another, “two-row” barley variety called Endeavor.

Combined, the three grain plantings could produce more than 180,000 pounds — the equivalent of four tractor-trailer loads — of barley grain for processing into malt for use by breweries such as Asheville’s Wicked Weed, Burial Beer and Green Man.

Hill likes the potential barley offers for “double-cropping,” harvesting barley in time to plant soybeans on the same acreage. He also likes the added value of the crop, which produces not just malt from the barley heads, but also straw from its stalks.

“I actually have contracts with the North Carolina Department of Transportation and I supply all the DOT sheds with straw that they use to seed the side of roads,” Hill said. “This barley thing has really sparked an interest with me, because it makes everything come together.”

Endeavor was developed to expand winter barley’s range from traditional growing areas in Dakotas and Idaho to the Great Lakes. With help from N.C. State University researchers, Hill is experimenting to see if it will take well in the region’s warmer climes.

“We’re kind of pushing the envelope and taking it further south,” said Brent Manning, co-founder of Riverbend Malt House. Endeavor is a “two-row” barley akin to those used by European brewers, he said, and it appeals to customers who want traditional malts.

“Six-row” barley varieties like Thoroughbred are commonly grown for livestock feed in the Piedmont, but Hill and Davis are the first farmers in Western North Carolina to grow it for making beer. Six-row barley can impart beer with a slight haziness, but growing it with less nitrogen minimizes that, Manning said.

Sourcing barley from local farmers is an arrangement that Manning said benefits local farmers, the environment and the region’s burgeoning craft beer industry.

“We’re basically trying to pull farmers out of the commodity markets,” he said. “They know up front what they’re going to get, assuming they meet the quality criteria next June when it comes out of the ground. And that helps us because we know what our profit margins are going to be,” rather than falling victim to fluctuating prices on the global grain market.

Growing and processing the barley locally, rather than 1,500 miles away at the next nearest malt house in Chilton, Wisc., means less fuel is needed to transport the grain to brewers, saving transport costs and pollution, Manning said.

“We operate with a triple bottom line: people, planet, profits, in that order,” Manning said. Paying farmers “above-market rates for their grains, if they meet quality criteria” helps people, less transport helps the planet and profits follow as more breweries sign up to buy artisan malts, he said.

“Our angle is not to kick sand in the face of the (malting) giants,” he said. “It’s more to say, much as the farmer’s market is a driver for local farmers to connect with the community, we’re trying to facilitate that connection between the farmers and the brewers.”

As the region’s barley-growing test case, Davis and Hill realize there are challenges ahead. They’re working with N.C. State and U.S. Department of Agriculture experts to pinpoint the best sites, soils, varieties and cultivation techniques.

“I really hope it works well for us,” said Hill. “It’s hard to grow as good a grain in this part of the country, especially in the mountains, as you do in a drier climate such as the Midwest. They never have the foggy, wet mornings we do, so the grain stays dry.”

Mountain winters may also be a factor, said County Extension Director Marvin Owings Jr.

“It’s very unusual to plant any barley here,” he said. “Most of it is grown in the Piedmont. Part of that has to do with the tight window of planting — we only have about three weeks (after the fall harvest) to get it planted before the cold temperatures come in.”

Davis said barley must be monitored carefully, but he’s optimistic that he and Hill are pioneering a new, profitable cover crop that could replace wheat for mountain farmers willing to invest extra time and effort.

“It’s going to be very high-maintenance,” he said. “It’s not like going out and throwing out a regular cover crop. But there’s been a great deal of research and thought that have gone into this, and I think we’re going to learn a lot more (about barley growing in the mountains).”

<p>In more ways than one, Mills River farmer Jason Davis broke new ground last week on farmland he leases across Ferncliff Park Drive from Sierra Nevada's new brewery.</p><p>Manning the controls of a seed drill, Davis became the first commercial grower in Henderson County — and one of only two in Western North Carolina — to plant barley for use by the region's burgeoning craft beer industry.</p><p>Last Wednesday, Davis planted 12 acres of a winter barley variety called “Thoroughbred,” which he hopes to harvest next June and transport to the Riverbend Malt House in Asheville for processing into beer malt.</p><p>His crop won't likely end up in Sierra Nevada's vats across the road, but if successful, other regional breweries will combine his yields with hops, yeast and water to make beer. That's something that appeals to Davis, whose North River Farms specializes in locally grown products.</p><p>“I like the fact that it's going local,” Davis said. “People are going to get their beer, and it's grown here, malted here and brewed here. That's awesome. We're really excited to move forward and see if this niche market can take off.”</p><p>Meanwhile, in Polk County, Dana farmer Tony Hill planted 30 acres of his own land in Thoroughbred barley three weeks ago. Soon, he plans to sow about 10 acres in Dana with another, “two-row” barley variety called Endeavor.</p><p>Combined, the three grain plantings could produce more than 180,000 pounds — the equivalent of four tractor-trailer loads — of barley grain for processing into malt for use by breweries such as Asheville's Wicked Weed, Burial Beer and Green Man.</p><p>Hill likes the potential barley offers for “double-cropping,” harvesting barley in time to plant soybeans on the same acreage. He also likes the added value of the crop, which produces not just malt from the barley heads, but also straw from its stalks. </p><p>“I actually have contracts with the North Carolina Department of Transportation and I supply all the DOT sheds with straw that they use to seed the side of roads,” Hill said. “This barley thing has really sparked an interest with me, because it makes everything come together.”</p><p>Endeavor was developed to expand winter barley's range from traditional growing areas in Dakotas and Idaho to the Great Lakes. With help from N.C. State University researchers, Hill is experimenting to see if it will take well in the region's warmer climes.</p><p>“We're kind of pushing the envelope and taking it further south,” said Brent Manning, co-founder of Riverbend Malt House. Endeavor is a “two-row” barley akin to those used by European brewers, he said, and it appeals to customers who want traditional malts.</p><p>“Six-row” barley varieties like Thoroughbred are commonly grown for livestock feed in the Piedmont, but Hill and Davis are the first farmers in Western North Carolina to grow it for making beer. Six-row barley can impart beer with a slight haziness, but growing it with less nitrogen minimizes that, Manning said.</p><p>Sourcing barley from local farmers is an arrangement that Manning said benefits local farmers, the environment and the region's burgeoning craft beer industry.</p><p>“We're basically trying to pull farmers out of the commodity markets,” he said. “They know up front what they're going to get, assuming they meet the quality criteria next June when it comes out of the ground. And that helps us because we know what our profit margins are going to be,” rather than falling victim to fluctuating prices on the global grain market.</p><p>Growing and processing the barley locally, rather than 1,500 miles away at the next nearest malt house in Chilton, Wisc., means less fuel is needed to transport the grain to brewers, saving transport costs and pollution, Manning said.</p><p>“We operate with a triple bottom line: people, planet, profits, in that order,” Manning said. Paying farmers “above-market rates for their grains, if they meet quality criteria” helps people, less transport helps the planet and profits follow as more breweries sign up to buy artisan malts, he said.</p><p>“Our angle is not to kick sand in the face of the (malting) giants,” he said. “It's more to say, much as the farmer's market is a driver for local farmers to connect with the community, we're trying to facilitate that connection between the farmers and the brewers.”</p><p>As the region's barley-growing test case, Davis and Hill realize there are challenges ahead. They're working with N.C. State and U.S. Department of Agriculture experts to pinpoint the best sites, soils, varieties and cultivation techniques. </p><p>“I really hope it works well for us,” said Hill. “It's hard to grow as good a grain in this part of the country, especially in the mountains, as you do in a drier climate such as the Midwest. They never have the foggy, wet mornings we do, so the grain stays dry.”</p><p>Mountain winters may also be a factor, said County Extension Director Marvin Owings Jr. </p><p>“It's very unusual to plant any barley here,” he said. “Most of it is grown in the Piedmont. Part of that has to do with the tight window of planting — we only have about three weeks (after the fall harvest) to get it planted before the cold temperatures come in.”</p><p>Davis said barley must be monitored carefully, but he's optimistic that he and Hill are pioneering a new, profitable cover crop that could replace wheat for mountain farmers willing to invest extra time and effort.</p><p>“It's going to be very high-maintenance,” he said. “It's not like going out and throwing out a regular cover crop. But there's been a great deal of research and thought that have gone into this, and I think we're going to learn a lot more (about barley growing in the mountains).”</p><p>Reach Axtell at 828-694-7860 or than.axtell@blueridgenow.com.</p>